Boxing Daria
Boxing Daria is the thirteenth episode of season 5 and 65th episode overall of Daria. It aired on June 25, 2001 on MTV. Plot The Morgendorffers get a new refrigerator delivered after the old one conks out on them, an operation overseen by Helen (as Jake is out of town, having gotten tickets to a marketing conference at the last minute). As Daria and Quinn haul the empty box out to the front yard, the combination of Jake's absence and the empty box starts to trigger a childhood memory in Daria. Unfortunately, she can only remember a few snippets, something about an argument between Helen and Jake, who stormed out of the house... and, somehow, Daria appeared to be the cause. (Nevertheless, it's enough to compell Daria to repeatedly save the box from the trash collectors.) Daria's frustrated by this and other factors, including Tom's family's visit to their cabin at "the cove" for a week, and Mr. O'Neill's badgering Daria to volunteer to show future Lawndale High students around the school. Daria turns him down repeatedly, stating that she ethically can't do it because she refuses to talk up something that she hates, and becomes indignant when she thinks that he thinks she's a social misfit who's incapable of dealing with people. As more flashbacks ensue, revealing more details of this past incident, Daria becomes more paranoid, accusing Helen of lying to her about this incident and the whereabouts of Jake. She ultimately takes refuge inside the box just as Jake arrives home, and both he and Helen convince Daria to come out and have an honest, heart-to-heart talk with them. They reveal that, yes, they did have an argument, it was about her, and Jake did storm out of the house, but it wasn't a big blow-up, Jake only stayed away one night (at a fleabag motel), and in the morning, life resumed as normal. Distraught at the thought that she was the cause of so much grief in their family, Daria grabs the keys to the SUV and runs out of the house, with the intention of joining Tom at "the cove." Unfortunately, she doesn't make it very far, as she's involved in a multi-car accident on the rain-soaked highway (but both her and the car come out of it undamaged). Daria calls Jane and asks her to join her at a roadside diner, and after giving Jane an uncharacteristic hug, both girls sit and talk. Daria lays it all out to Jane, explaining how she's always been causing problems for her parents ever since she could think and talk, while Jane counters that, from her perspective, both Daria and her parents have given as good as they got, and urges Daria to talk to them, not her. She does so, and both Jake and Helen explain to Daria that all the teacher conferences and such were simply the flip side of having such an intelligent child, and that they both understand and accept the choices that she makes in her life. Daria accepts this, and -- again, uncharacteristically -- tells them that she's lucky to have them as parents. After smoothing things over with Tom (whose feathers she unintentionally ruffled once again with her behavior), she and Jane proceeded to give some prospective Lawndale High freshmen a tour of the school after all... a tour with their own unique spin. Trivia * Final episode of season 5 before its canc External links